Krimzon Guard cruiser
The Krimzon Guard cruiser, Rafei, crimsonguard-cruiser1.jpg and its armored variant the HellCat cruiser, Yates, hellcat_00.jpg For clarity, this article will hereafter refer to them separately as the "KG cruiser" and the "HellCat cruiser", respectively.}} are vehicles in Jak II. Heavily armed and armored, it is used as a patrol zoomer by the Krimzon Guard in Haven City. It allows guards to respond to chases during high alerts, though they only do so during elevated alerts. Like their single-seat counterpart, the KG patrol bike, they are mounted in the front with an on-board cannon. Unique to the cruiser is a seldom-used dual turret in the back. When Jak highjacked a cruiser, shooting would automatically use the cannon. The Krimzon Guard cruisers and HellCat cruisers were eventually discontinued, replaced with HellCat fighters used by the Freedom League in Jak 3. History During Jak II, guards would patrol the city streets in KG cruisers, flying exclusively in the upper hover zone. Should the city's high alert become elevated, only then would they chase after the instigator (namely Jak). This would only happen during specific missions, if Jak highjacked or damaged a cruiser or patrol bike, or if he opened fire on the streets. Unlike the patrol bikes, cruisers were never parked, making them the only zoomers impossible to steal without triggering the alert. Guards notably used the cruisers in the mission "Make delivery to Hip Hog Saloon", during which they and patrol bikes twice created a roadblock, long before Jak had arrived to the area. Other specific missions involving the use of cruisers were "Collect money for Krew", during which they pursued Jak due to suspicious cargo; "Turn on five power switches", due to Jak damaging turbo cannons; "Shuttle Underground fighters", due to Jak's association with known Underground agents; "Escort Kid to power station", due to Jak's possession of a child; and "Rescue lurkers for Brutter", due to Jak's attacks on the prison zoomers. Later, Torn noted that Jak had aggravated Baron Praxis, and that he was "coming down pretty hard" by deploying new, heavily armored HellCat cruisers. This made the streets dangerous for the Underground and resulted in the death of five agents. Jak agreed to the mission "Destroy five HellCat cruisers", in which he took them all out to send the Baron a message. Ashelin Praxis, a Krimzon Guard captain, had her own cruiser which she used to take to the pumping station (leading to "Find pumping station patrol"), the first demonstrated use of the cruiser used as an airship. She later used it to pick up Jak from the weapons factory after "Beat Krew in weapons lab". During the Metal Head attack on Haven City, between the missions "Beat Krew in weapons lab" and "Check the construction site", KG cruisers ignored the attackers despite the alert being at its highest status. Characteristics Design The cruisers are large, heavy-duty delta-shaped zoomers with two seats, an open cockpit, and a large engine bed in the back. On either side of this are two cylindrical engines each, one at the bottom and one closer to the top. The exhaust emits from two blocks in the back while functioning as a zoomer, and from the bottom engines when functioning as an airship. Mounted on the top of the engine area is an inset seat for the dual-barrel turret, protected by a windshield (the HellCat version has a small roof over it as well). At the very front of the vehicle is a single-barrel cannon mounted to the bottom, which has a 360-degree horizontal sweep and a 180-degree vertical sweep. The HellCat cruiser also has a large, chrome yellow-tinted windshield covering the entire cockpit area, as well as two metal panels on either side of the trunk. Furthermore, while the standard KG cruisers sport crimson coloring with beige trim, the HellCat cruisers trade for a dull steel blue with yellow trim. Both types bear the Krimzon Guard insignia on either side of the engine bed, as well as the Precursor letters "TSL" towards the front. Performance .]] The KG cruiser is one of the most difficult zoomers to control due to its bulk and wide turning radius. It does not tilt on its forward axis like many other zoomers, and instead uses a planar strafing motion when turning. It also has a more gradual acceleration and deceleration rate, making sudden changes difficult, particularly in the narrow pathways of Haven City. Instead the cruiser excels in its strength, top speed, and weaponry. It can take more damage than any other zoomer, and is considerably fast for its size. Its on-board cannon has an unlimited ammo capacity and a decent rate of fire, but poor aiming ability, making it unreliable in serious combat situations. It can, however, serve to ram enemies and fend off kamikaze KG patrol bikes. Combat The KG cruiser makes for a formidable enemy when piloted by a guard. Its high speed and superior strength will at least significantly damage your zoomer in a collision, if not destroy it. Furthermore, its cannon is quite accurate, and will trail you persistently even at high speeds. Its single disadvantage is its bulk, which can sometimes prevent it from following you in congested airspaces. Because the cruiser never enters the lower hover zone, it is not recommended to take one on by foot. Instead, try to outrun it on foot, or fly a zoomer in a lower hover zone until it loses your trail. The HellCat cruiser will not actively engage you in combat, despite its superior strength and weapons. Instead it will flee while shooting you with its back-facing dual turret. It has a much faster initial take-off, making it a somewhat difficult chase. Its ability to plow through fellow zoomers also adds to the difficulty of its chase. As such, it is recommend to furtively trail behind it, then begin shooting it with the Vulcan Fury before it has a chance to go very far. While larger zoomers will be more durable, it is recommended to pick a fast zoomer to keep up with it in the event of a chase. Reinforcements may attempt to ram you, which can prove fatal in a smaller zoomer, though you have the advantage of the lower hover zone. Other appearances Several KG cruisers make appearances in ''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale''. The first is seen as Jak pilots it in his Arcade Mode story. Two to three can be seen flying in the air on the Black Rock Stadium stage by guards. Two are featured as Backgrounds, with a few more to be seen flying around in Jak's generic background. Notes ; Annotations ; Citations References ; Video games * * ; Bibliography * * ; Websites * * Category:Zoomers Category:Krimzon Guard